Wardrobe-trunk



R. E. PHILLIPS.

Patented Sept. 6,1921.

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WARDROBE TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29, 1920.

1,389,595. PatentedSept. 6,1921.

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WARDROBE TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29,1920.

PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

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INVENTQR 7a. 5. Phil/ '06.

TTORNEYS UNITED STATES? ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, or ron'rLANfn, OREGON.

"PATENT OFFICE-f WARDROBE-TRUNK. i

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and vState of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVardrobe- Trunks,of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to improved attachments for wardrobe trunks andmore particularly has for its purpose to provide an lII1-' provedconstruction of follower board adapted, under one adjustment, to serveas a-com pressor for holding the hung garments rigidly in positionwithout wrinkling, and under another adjustment, to serve as an ironingboard.

Primarily, my invention has for its purpose an improved construction ofcomb ned ironing board and follower, that is so designed whereby, whenin use asa follower or clothes press, it is practically dustrproof forthe clothes suspended from the hangers behind the same, and whenadjusted'to use as an ironing board, it is readily supported, in thehorizontal position, without the use of leg devices or other likesupports and in position for use either as an ironing board, a shelf forholding hats, gloves or other like articles of wear or as a card tableand with means, at one end, for fixedly connecting it to the usualsupplemental hinged top or end member embodied in the modern types' ofwardrobe trunks and which is also adapted for being firmly sustained, ina sub stantially rigid position upon the trolley guides at the oppositesides of the garment receiving compartment of the trunk and from whichthe garments are slidably suspended.

Another object. of my invention is to provide, in'connection with acombined follower and ironing board, a simple inexpensive and easilyadjusted strap arrangement for tightening the clothes and holding up thefol lower'board and with further minor objects in view, that willhereinafter be apparent,

my invention consists in the peculiar construction and novel combinationof the parts, all of which will be fully stated in the followingdetailed description, specifically set out in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 5 Figure 1 'is aperspective view of a wardrobe trunk in which is embodiedv my invention,the trunk being opened, with the comfollower" from its trunk engagedadjustment.

Specification of Letters Pate it. :Sept. ,6, 1921. Application filedDecember 29, i920. i

Serial No, 433,886;

bined follower and ironing board shown utilized as a clothes compressorandheld to its Fig. 2 is a perspective view, similar to Fig.

1, the hinged end for the clothes compartment being shown swung up, thecombined and ironing board being removed Fig. 3 is'a perspective view ofthe trunk opened with the hinged end of the clothes compartment swung upand the follower adusted to its ironing board position, themanner ofuseof the said ironing board being "also illustrated.

. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of the hook carrying end of thefollower and ironing board and the cooperative hook connections thatsecure the sameto the hinged end of the trunk. I I

Fig. 5 isa detail sectionalview of the board and one of the trolleyrod'extensions that serve as supplemental supports for the displacement,when used for ironing.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view that 807. said ironing board and forinterlockably engaging the board to hold it against lateral hookcarrying end of the combined follower and ironing board, illustratingthe side posite to that shown'in Fig. 4. p

In the drawings, I have illustrated a modern type of wardrobe trunkcomposed essentially of two half sections hinged to supportthe trunk,when opened, in the upright position, one of the said sections havingthe usual nest of drawers and the other the conventional form of trolleysupports at'the opposite" sides of the upper end of the clothescompartment, which compartment,

as shown, includes the-supplemental hinged end portion hereinafter againreferred to; The drawings also illustrate the clothes hanger devicesthat slidably engage the opposite end trolleys and are adapted for beingshifted, when compressed by the combined follower and ironing board, aspresently explained.

Since the construction of the trunk body,

as shown, is of the conventional type and further s nce my invention hasreference exclusively to the several attachments connected therewith,that is, the combined follower I and ironing board and the means forholding the same to the'clothes pressing and to the ironing boardadjustments, detailed description of the trunk body proper, eXceptingsofar as required to designate the conncction of my improved attachmentthere with, is deemed unnecessary.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a follower board 1, which, inpractice, is an actual board, preferably of three ply veneer, such as isgenerally used in the manufacture of trunks.

The board 1, in my construction, is the full width and heightof theclothes compartment 2 of the trunk and one face of the said board has aflannel covering 3 that is somewhat wider than the board, whereby toprovide a valance 30 at each of the opposite edges of the'said board,and atthe lower end, the covering 3 is also projected to provide avalance 31 along that end of the bOitI'd.

Providing the opposite edges and the bottom edge of the board with theextensionor valance portions 3O*-3O and 31, as stated, when the saidboard is pushed into. place .as a follower or clothes. compressor, thesaid extensions 3030 and 31 will lap out-and form a tight closure ordust-proof fit of the follower andthereby protect the articles withinthe clothes compartment.

That side'of the boardprovided with the flannel covering is padded forironing board uses-and the said face acts as a soft contact against theclothes, which is especially clesirable, when closing up the followerand se curing it, under compression, against the clothes within thetrunk body.

On the front side, the board 1 has metal strip 1 along the upper edgefor clamping the open end of a laundry bag 5, and near the lower end, thsaid front face of the board 1 has a similar strip 6 for clamping a shoebag 7 and, at the opposite edges of the face of the board, are locatedapertured plates 8-8, the purpose of which will be presently explained.

.9p9 designate the usual trolley guides at the opposite inner side ofthat portion of the trunk top having the hinged end 10 and the said.guides are supported at their outer and i'nner, ends in suitable'bracket irons 1111;attaehed to the adjacent side of the,

said trunk top in the usual way, it being un derstood from the drawings,that the, said guides 9const1tute the side supports upon which'theclothes hangers 12 are slidably suspended in the usual way.

In my construction of wardrobe trunk as showman extension rod 13 ishingedly con- .nected, at one end, to the outer end of each trolley rod9 and'in such manner whereby they can be swung out in longitudinalaline- -ment with the said trolley or guide member 9, when the board 1is to be used as an ironing board, to thereby constitute additionalsupports for sustaining the outer end of the board in proper positionfor ironing (see Fig. 3). g f

To hold the board rigidly to its ironing or table adjusted positions,.the outer endof each of the extensions 13 has a projecting finger 14for interlockably engaging the apertured plates 8 at their respectivesides, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

. When the board is used as a follower or clothes press, the extensionrods 1313 are folded inwardly over the upper end of the board 1, as isclearly shown in Fig. 1.

At the inside of the'hinged end of the trunk, adjacent each of the innerbrackets for the guide or hanger rods 9--9, is secured a spring catch15that forms a convenient means for receiving the hook members 16-46secured at each corner of the cut away portions 17 .of the board 1',which hooks 16,'when the board is used as a follower, ai-e' hung overthe hanger or guide rods 99 to providefor pushing the board 1 into theclothes chamber and along thetrolley rods 99, the same as is done withthe garment hangers.

Providing a follower board the full width of the clothes compartment,admits of readily using the conventional form of tightening strap 18,since by equipping the board with the laundry and shoe bags that arehung on the outer face. thereof, as is shown in Fig. 1, the ends of thestraps 18, when drawn over and under the clothes within the compartment,can be readily carried over the outer face of the board 1 andbybucliling up the-ends, the board is secured in the clothes holdingposition, it being understood the strap ispassed through suitable metalguides 19, one of which is attached to the under "side of the hingedportion of the trunlrtop' and the other'to the inside'of the trunk topnear one end. thereof,- as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, and thereby notonly secures the follower board in the desired clothes holding positlonbut also tends to hold the laundry and shoe bags ina closed a conditionupon said board.

Any suitable means may be provided'for securely holding 'an electriciron within the trunk'top; forexample, a holding device such as isillustrated in Fig. 6 may be firmly trunks.

WhatIclaim"is 1. In a wardrobe trunk having a clothes 7 compartment, afollower board of substantially the full width of the clothescompartment of the trunk, whose inner face is padded to serve as anironing board, the covering for the said face being projected along theopposite sides and bottom whereby to produce valance portions adapted tolap back when the board is inserted against the clothes, to provide adust-proof fit of the said board.

2. In a wardrobe trunk having a clothes compartment, a follower board ofsubstan tially the full width of the said compartment whose inner faceis padded to serve as an ironing board, the covering for the said facebeing projected along theopposite sides and bottom whereby to producevalance portions adapted to lap back, when the board is inserted againstthe clothes whereby to provide a dust-proof fit of the said board, and astrap connection secured within the clothes compartment and having itsends adapted for passing over' and under the hung clothes and thefollowermember, and over the front of the said board when it is adjustedas a clothes compressor.

3. In a wardrobe trunk having a clothes compartment, the usual hingedportion at one end of the said compartment and trolley rods at theopposite sides of the said compartment adjacent the hinged portionthereof and upon which the clothes hangers are supported; a followerboard of substantially the width and length of the said clothescompartment whereby when placed in horizontal position over the openedend of the clothes compartment it will rest upon and be supported by thetrolley rods and thereby serve as a table or ironing board, and meanscooperative with the board and the hinged end portion of the trunk forinterlockably connecting the inner end of the board and the trunk end,when the board is at the horizontal or table adjustment.

4-. In a wardrobe trunk having a clothes compartment provided with theusual hinged portion at one end thereof and trolley rods at the oppositesides of the said compartment adjacent the hinged portion and upon whichthe clothes hangers are supported; a follower board of substantially thewidth and length of the said clothes compartment whereby when placed inthe horlzontal position over the opened end of the clothes compartmentit will rest upon and be supported by the trolley rods and thereby serveas a table or ironing board,

and'means cooperative with the said board and the, hinged end of thetrunk for interlockably connecting the inner end of the board and thetrunk end when the board is at the horizontal ortable-adjustment, and afoldable extension attached to the outer end on each trolley rod thatconstitutes supplemental supports for the outer end of the board when itis utilized as an ironing board.

5. In a wardrobe trunk having a clothes compartment provided with theusual hinged portion at one end thereof, and trolley rods at theopposite sides of the said compartment adjacent the head portion andupon which the clothes hangers are sup ported, a follower board, ofsubstantially the width and length of the said clothes compartment,whereby, when placed in the horizontal position over the opened end ofthe clothes compartment it will rest upon and be supported by thetrolley rods and serve as a table or ironing board, and meanscooperative with the board and the hinged end portion of the trunk forinterlockably connecting the inner end of the board and the trunk endwhen the board is at the horizontal or table adjustment and a foldableextension attached to the outer end of each trolley rod that constitutessupplemental supports, for the outer end of the board, whenthe latter isutilized as an ironing board, the said trolley extension and the boardhaving interlockable portions.

6. In a wardrobe trunk having a clothes compartment, a follower boardhaving substantially the full width of the clothes com partment of thetrunk whose inner faceis padded to serve as an ironingboard, thecovering for the said face being projected along the opposite sides andbottom end, whereby to form valance portions adapted to lap back whenthe board is inserted, the

said board having means on that side opposite that of the ironing boardside for sustaining laundry and other like ba s.

' ROBERT E. PHILLIPS.

